MRS. WRIGHT'S PHILOSOPHY
by Lorrie Wright
March 23, 2008
Educational Teaching Philosophy
I
believe that my classroom should be a place where students have the
opportunity to receive an education that prepares them for life
after high school. Not only will this education be useful after
graduation, but it will also help them learn about themselves, as
they grow and change in my class. While with me, I want my students
to be part of a community that trusts and respects each other, the
teacher, and others that enter the classroom.
This
philosophy means that in terms of classroom management, students
will have a voice in deciding on behaviors in the classroom as they
work together to develop a community with which they are satisfied.
I believe that both the class and the teacher need to decide how
the classroom will work, what consequences will be for certain
actions, and how those consequences will be implemented. As the
teacher, it is my job to enforce consequences fairly, clearly and
consistently.
I want
my instructional techniques to vary tremendously. Students do not
learn in the same ways, therefore I cannot use only one teaching
style. There will be a large amount of group work and cooperative
learning to help students learn how to work together and solve
conflicts reasonably. There will be direct instruction, concept
attainment, and concept development to keep lessons interesting and
varied. Students will have many opportunities to teach each other
as they work on presentations alone and in groups.
Assessment
of student work will also be done in an unconventional manner. I
don't want students to only be concerned about grades and forget
about learning. I would like to experiment with several different
strategies. I believe that assessment of student progress
should be done carefully and fairly.
Finally,
I want students to be able to take what they learn and apply it to
today's society. I believe that it is important to analyze the
culture that we live in through the present and the past. I want my
students to leave my room with the ability to be open minded while
voicing their opinions clearly. My classroom will prepare my
students with the education that they need to survive in the world
today. But my philosophy goes far beyond that. I also hope to teach
students other skills that they will need in order to work with
others and reflect on one's self consistently.
To
accomplish my mission, I will reflect upon my teaching and analyze
what needs to be corrected and improved. I will attend
in-services or staff development to continue learning about
pedagogy and recent educational research. I will collaborate
with the community. I feel it is important to collaborate
with our community and parents to meet the needs of the context of
my students. I will emphasize a student centered classroom
with various teaching strategies, different instructional models, a
variety of classroom activities, and a clearly defined
curriculum. I will have high expectations for all
students.
